NYC mask mandate lifted: What are the plans for Staten Island’s 3 colleges?
STATE ISLAND, NY – Starting Monday, Wagner College and St. John’s University will no longer require masks on campus, aligning their coronavirus (COVID-19) policies with updated local, state and federal public health directives.
MASKS ARE OPTIONAL
“Beginning Monday, March 7, Wagner College will be mask-optional in all areas except where health-care services are being provided,” Wagner’s interim president, Angelo Araimo, noted in a statement. “This policy applies to all college employees, students and visitors. Weekly testing requirements for employees and students who have received exemptions from the college’s vaccination mandate will remain in effect. ”
The announcement comes after Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams recently set plans to lift the mandates requiring individuals to wear a mask in public indoor areas.
The statewide indoor mask mandate for schools was lifted Wednesday, and the city mandate for public schools will be lifted on Monday. These decisions follow new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saying that most people do not need to wear a face covering in indoor public settings, unless there is a high level of severe disease.
“Community members are welcome to continue wearing masks on campus,” Araimo continued in his statement. “Some members of our community may be immunocompromised or otherwise at higher risk for infection, may be caring for high-risk individuals, or may simply feel more comfortable wearing a mask. More than 95 percent of Wagner students and 96 percent of our employees have been vaccinated: we believe this is a key factor in the reduced impact of COVID-19 on our campus. ”
MUTUAL RESPECT, SUPPORT
St. John’s University posted a similar announcement on its website earlier this week.
“Effective Monday, March 7, masks are no longer required anywhere at St. John’s University either for indoor or outdoor campus activities, ”the statement reads. “People may still choose to wear masks at any time. Anyone on campus or visiting campus is welcome to wear a mask anywhere, if they feel safer doing so, and those personal and individual decisions demand our mutual respect and support. We need to remember that we have members of our community who feel vulnerable because of their own health conditions or those of their family. ”
Those who have been exposed to a person with COVID-19 are still required to wear a mask on university grounds and need to be tested five days after the exposure, campus officials said.
COLLEGE OF STATES OF ICELAND
The College of Staten Island (CSI), has still not released its plans regarding lifting the mask mandate. However, the college’s website notes it would announce updates or modifications to masking policies by Friday.
“In the meantime, CUNY’s temporary mask mandate remains in effect, ”CSI’s website notes. “As a reminder, this means that you must wear a face mask or covering inside University campuses and office buildings, including while in classrooms and when working in non-enclosed spaces.”